


summer slipped us underneath her tongue

by neilwrites



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blow Jobs, Body Image, Canon Compliant, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Rimming, Semi-Public Sex, Slice of Life, Slut Shaming, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:20:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25693441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neilwrites/pseuds/neilwrites
Summary: A collection of ficlets for #AFTGsummer!-Day 1: hot day (andrew//neil, T)Day 2: swimwear (nicky//erik, T)Day 3: beach day (nicky//erik, M) sequel to day 2!Day 4: outdoor sports (kevin//aaron, T)Day 5: sun lotion (andrew//neil, E)Day 6: picnic (andrew//neil, T)Day 7: roller skates (jeremy//jean, T)Day 8: barbecue (andrew//neil, T)Day 9: tan lines (kevin//aaron, E)Day 10: popsicle (andrew//neil, M)Day 11: day trip (nicky//erik, E) standalone from day 2 and 3!Day 12: bonfire (andrew//neil, G)Day 13: water fight (kevin//aaron, T)
Relationships: Jeremy Knox/Jean Moreau, Kevin Day/Aaron Minyard, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard, Nicky Hemmick/Erik Klose
Comments: 67
Kudos: 315
Collections: AFTG Summer 2020





	1. Hot day (Andrew//Neil)

**Author's Note:**

> what can i say, inspiration hit me and my hands started moving on their own

Andrew sits in his car for a shameful twenty minutes before he steps outside. His car has AC. Outside does not. Neither does his apartment, and that’s the whole problem, isn’t it?

It’s hotter than the asscrack of hell and Andrew is not made to withstand temperatures like these.

He scoured the internet for any available heat relief but the world hates him, and the feeling is mutual. So now he’s here. In front of an appliance store. Hoping very hard that he doesn’t have to knock anyone out to get some fucking fresh air on his face.

Right after passing through the automatic doors, he notices there’s an AC in the ceiling and Andrew is almost ready to drop to the floor and just live there. His armbands are itching but his upper arms are getting some sweet sweet relief, finally.

He rubs the sweat out of his neck and wipes it on his black cargo shorts, which was also maybe not the best outfit choice. His tank is sticking to the sweat on his back, and Andrew stays under the breeze for another few seconds before moving on.

And then he sees it. 

Disappointment Central.

An empty aisle.

Offer signs describing the fans and AC’s that used to be available before the entire population of Columbia decided to fuck with Andrew’s needs.

“Motherfucker,” Andrew swears under his breath.

“Charming,” he hears from behind the aisle, and he would stick his head over the partition if he could. Fuck.

He walks over to where the comment came from and he finds… well. He wasn’t meant to be cute. How’s Andrew gonna insult him when he looks like that?

“The fuck?” he says, and ah. He’s still got it.

The guy, with his mess of curls and a spattering of freckles, eyes blue enough to send a shiver down Andrew’s spine; this annoyingly beautiful shit says, “Nice day out, huh?”

Andrew squints his eyes. “Are you mocking me?”

“Of course not, mister,” he says, which confuses Andrew until he looks away from his face and spots the name tag.

“You work here.”

Neil, according to the name tag, blinks and looks at him like he’s stupid. To be fair… He’s not entirely wrong. “Yes. What gave it away.”

“Alright, smartass,” Andrew bites off, but it lacks his usual snarl. “You got any AC’s left?”

He’s giving him the stupid look again. “Didn’t you just come from that aisle?”

Andrew sighs and wishes they were having this illusion of a conversation under the AC at the door, but he’d look even dumber if he asked to move.

“You got any in the back?”

Freckle guy has shifty eyes. 

“No,” he lies.

“You do.”

Neil shifts his feet, and Andrew becomes increasingly convinced. “We sold everything.”

“Everything?”

He starts biting his lip, which works in distracting Andrew for a bit. They’re nice lips.

“We sold all our available units.”

“You’re talking shit,” Andrew confronts him.

“Hey—”

“You’re not sweating.”

Neil laughs and itches his nose. “I don’t sweat.”

“Yeah, okay.” Andrew rolls his eyes.

“There’s AC behind the counter,” Neil tries, only confirming he was lying just two seconds ago.

“No, there’s not,” Andrew says. “I’ve been studying the ceiling from the second I walked in and there’s not a scrap of fresh air in here besides at the door.”

“Listen, alright,” Neil sighs and steps closer, breaching Andrew’s personal bubble. Andrew finds he doesn’t mind. Neil smells nice. He whispers like they’re not entirely alone in the store. “I may have appropriated a fan before the shitstorm hit. Are you gonna tell on me, Sherlock?”

Andrew is temporarily distracted by the movement of Neil’s adam’s apple moving, before he says, without thinking about it, “Sharing is caring.”

Neil looks up from Andrew’s lips, and Andrew will freak out about that in a second. “What?”

“Take me to the stolen fan, Neil.”

“It’s appropriated.”

“Isn’t that a fancy word for stealing?”

“Only if you ask my boss,” Neil laughs and walks towards a door marked ‘Employees Only’. He turns his head and smiles, melting Andrew’s frozen emo heart instantly. “Coming?”

Andrew almost trips on his own feet.

There’s a plastic bag full of ice cubes tied in front of the fan, cooling the breeze even more, and alarming Andrew to the knowledge there’s a freezer around here.

Neil points him to it with a playful smirk and Andrew doesn’t hesitate to appropriate a popsicle.

He joins Neil who’s sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall and letting the cool breeze hit his face.

He sucks on his popsicle and struggles not to imagine it being something else. The fact that it tastes of artificial strawberry should deter him, but one time Roland brought flavored condoms and Andrew still hasn’t forgiven him.

It takes a while, but eventually, Andrew notices he’s being watched. Intensely. When he looks over, Neil switches to stare at the floor and a blush rises on his cheeks. He can’t even blame the heat, and suddenly things are looking up for Andrew.

He plays it up as he sucks on the sweet ice, licking the juice from his lips and smirking when Neil pushes him to the side with a chuckled, “Fuck off, jackass.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Can you not fellate your fake dick in front of me?”

Andrew can’t hold back the elated laughter leaving his chest. “I dare you to eat a popsicle in a non-sexual way.”

Neil stares at him, determination building. “Bet.”

Andrew quirks an eyebrow and watches Neil take out another frozen treat.

He looks at it for a few seconds, and Andrew almost thinks he’s won until Neil just takes a big bite out of it, crunching down on it and swallowing with a proud grin.

It lasts two seconds before his face pulls together and he whines, “Ah, fuck!”

Andrew chokes on his laughter and some of his popsicle. “Brain freeze?”

Neil’s crying with laughter, and presumably, pain. “Fuck you, I’m fine.”

“You’re crying.”

“It’s because I’m so glad I won,” Neil says from where he fell over on the floor, staring at the ceiling, stray tears still flowing into his hair as his chest moves with giggles.

“Valid,” Andrew says. “I wouldn’t want someone to do that to my dick.”

That just starts a new round of laughter.

“You’re such an asshole,” Neil says, staring at Andrew.

“Andrew,” he finally introduces himself.

“Hmm,” Neil says, focusing on his lips again. “It’s cooler when you lie down.”

Andrew waits five seconds before replacing his popsicle with Neil’s lips.


	2. Swimwear (Nicky//Erik)

Nicky wakes to the sound of excited teenagers running around the house, speaking German just too fast for Nicky to even begin to understand this early in the morning.

He turns around to face the wall, pulls a sheet over his face, and tries to restart his dream.

It doesn’t work, mainly because not long after he closes his eyes, the door to the guest room opens and Erik’s deeper voice fills the space.

“Wakey, wakey, Nicky!” It’s quickly followed by the sheet disappearing and the curtains being flung open to let the sun in. “It’s a beautiful day so we’re going to the  _ See _ .”

“The sea?” Nicky grumbles and rubs his eyes. “I thought there was no sea around here?”

“ _ See _ is a lake,” Erik explains as he ruffles through Nicky’s wardrobe. “Where are your trunks?”

Nicky stares at the ceiling as he processes the words, making sure the sheets are covering his chest that’s already hidden by his sleep shirt. “I don’t have any.”

Erik swivels around and smiles. “I’ll lend you some, come and pick.”

Nicky is effectively manhandled by Erik to his room, not that he complains much. Or at all. 

Erik’s trunks —because he has a wide selection— are in the same drawer as his underwear, and Nicky looks away as subtly as he can while Erik presents him with his options.

“I— That one,” Nicky says, pointing at one at random, just to get it over with.

He chose an orange pair, apparently, and Erik nods approvingly. “Those will look nice on you.”

Nicky blushes and grabs the trunks out of Erik’s hands, shivering at his touch, still.

“You gonna try them on?”

Nicky freezes in place. He looks down at the floor, says, “Uh…”, increasingly aware of how awkward he’s making things.

“Not much room to change when we’re there,” Erik breaks the tension. “Unless you wanna change in the car, which I don’t suggest, it’s tiny as hell.”

Nicky winces automatically.

“Sorry,” Erik says, not looking sorry at all. “I’ll add blasphemy to the long list to repent for.”

“What?” Nicky finally says, and Erik pats him on the shoulder.

“Go change, we’ll meet you downstairs.”

The trunks are surprisingly loose on him, Nicky thought they might be too tight. He’s seen Erik’s waist, his hips. Oh, he’s seen them. 

The trunks only cover until mid-thigh, but it’s something Nicky will have to live with, grabbing a loose t-shirt from his closet to wear on top. He sticks his feet in the flip flops Erik bought him last week, to match his own, and he joins the Kloses in their kitchen.

“Mutti’s made us packed lunch,” Tina says, mouth filled with some bread still.

Nicky shifts uneasily. “Who else is coming?”

Erik trails his fingers on Nicky’s lower back when he passes him to get to the fridge. “Us, Tina and Tina’s friend Eva. Can’t fit anyone else into the car,” he grins, taking a bite of an apple. “Breakfast?”

Nicky looks down at his trunks, and pictures how busy the lake will be. “I’m good, thank you.”

Erik frowns. “I’ll pack you something for on the road.”

* * *

It’s an hour later when they finally leave, Tina and Eva crammed in the backseat with earphones shared between them, Erik and Nicky in the front.

He makes Nicky eat the sandwich he made, and Nicky hides how pleased he is when Erik smiles proudly.

The rest of the drive is done in comfortable silence until Erik starts humming along to the radio, getting increasingly louder until he’s belting along, and Nicky is crying with laughter next to him.

“Oh,” Nicky says when they arrive at a nearly empty stretch of sand. “Where is everyone?”

Erik touches the side of his nose. “This is our secret spot. Well, I say secret. It’s not hidden or anything, but there’s a popular stretch a few kilometers away, so nobody comes here.”

Nicky nods relieved, and together they walk over to their own secluded beach area.

Erik installs their umbrella by sticking it as deep in the sand as it can go, and Nicky lays out their towels. Tina and Eva do the same, stripping down to their bikinis to put sunscreen on, then laying down, sharing the earphones again as they sunbathe.

Erik finishes rubbing his chest and arms with the sunscreen as Nicky meticulously studies the label on their umbrella, so he’s startled when Erik gives him the bottle and says, “Do my back?”

Nicky swallows nervously and says, “Sure,” an octave higher than he usually would.

He wonders how long it took Erik to get this muscley, what with school every day, and Nicky-babysitting duties every evening. He has to work out a lot to maintain a body like this, but Nicky hasn’t been able to catch him in the act yet. Not that he wants to. That’d be embarrassing for all parties involved.

Mostly Nicky, who is he kidding.

Erik’s muscles are glistening in the sunshine, sweat and sunscreen illuminating his skin, and Nicky hastily wipes his hands on his thighs before giving the bottle back.

“Don’t you need any?” Erik asks, frowning again. “You’ll burn.”

“Nah, haha,” Nicky laughs nervously. “I’ll just sit here under the umbrella. I’ll be fine.”

“You’re not swimming?”

“No, I… I don’t think so.” Nicky shrugs.

Erik stares at him for a few awkward seconds. “Alright. Tell me if you change your mind.”

He walks off in swimming trunks far smaller than the pair he gave Nicky, and Nicky stares. 

* * *

It’s hot. It’s so fucking hot outside, and even Nicky who is used to South Carolinian summers is dying from the heat. Sweat has gathered in his hair, his neck, his entire back sticky underneath his shirt.

Erik looks extremely cool, floating in the water.

Even Tina and Eva went for a swim earlier, then left for a walk around the lake.

Nicky pinches his own thigh until it hurts and he makes the decision to stand up, making Erik aware of his decision. He can’t back out now. He smears some sunscreen on his arms and face, then walks over to the edge of the water, the wind creating a breeze against his loose shirt, bringing some sweet relief.

Erik watches as Nicky hesitantly walks further into the water, shocked giggles escaping as the cool water makes its way up his legs.

He has to pull the shirt down before it keeps floating on top of the water, tucking some in his shorts and walking until the water reaches his chin, just a few feet away from Erik.

He’s telling him something, but Nicky’s distracted by the water droplets on Erik’s face, his wet curls tucked behind his ears, so he doesn’t hear the warning.

He slips and loses his footing, the ground suddenly disappearing beneath his feet. His head disappears underwater for a few seconds, and his primal instincts don’t kick in as he sinks. He has no idea how long it takes before a pair of strong arms are pulling him back up, wrapping around him and hugging him to an equally built chest.

He rests his arms over the shoulders and coughs up water while he recovers, letting his body just hang from Erik’s as he stops panicking.

Then he hears Erik’s soothing voice in his ear, telling him to breathe, calming him down and hugging him tightly while Nicky’s heart is doing somersaults and is absolutely losing its shit.

Another few seconds before Nicky becomes aware that his body is pressed against Erik’s, that he can feel him so Erik can feel Nicky too, and he pushes himself off.

“Ha, uh, thanks.”

Erik’s hands, previously wrapped around his back, now take place on his hips and Nicky almost chokes again, this time on his own spit. He tries to move back but Erik won’t let go.

Nicky has to physically push Erik’s hands away before he understands Nicky’s serious.

“Nicky?” 

“Just—,” Nicky stutters. “Don’t touch me, okay?”

“Okay,” Erik says easily, but he keeps close. “Why?”

“It’s not… You just can’t do that.”

“Okay,” Erik says again. “Me or anyone?”

Nicky shakes his head. 

“I’m sorry, Nicky.”

“No, I— I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have freaked out like that.”

“Sounds like I deserved it, though.”

It works in making Nicky laugh. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You never do.”

“Oh, you sweet, summer child,” Erik teases him, then sobers. “Why don’t you like to be touched?”

Nicky pulls a face and pulls his shirt down lower underwater. “I don’t look… nice.”

Erik makes a confused sound. “Eh?”

Nicky rolls his eyes. “Not like… Not like you or- or you know, typical guys.” 

Erik treads water until he’s closer again, close enough that Nicky can see the sweat stuck in his eyebrows, the microscopic droplets in his eyelashes, and he says, “You’re beautiful, Nicky.”

Nicky frowns. “Don’t make fun of me.”

“Nicky,” Erik gives him time to object to his hands coming to rest on his hips again, and Nicky can’t resist. “I’m incredibly serious.”

“You… You can’t do that,” he says, voice shaky.

“Says who?”

Nicky unthinkingly looks up and squints at the sun. Erik knows what he means anyway.

“I’ll add it to my list to repent for. But I’m not stopping.”

“Stopping what?” Nicky whispers as he’s pulled even closer, Erik’s breath hitting his face and Nicky greedily inhaling.

“Reminding you you’re gorgeous.”


	3. Beach day (nicky//erik)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of day 2, set a few years later, this time from Erik's POV.  
> \---  
> CW / Slut shaming

The Foxes—Nicky’s friends, family—are chattering excitedly around him. Some are playing a game of volleyball on the beach, some are in the water, and some, like Nicky, are sunbathing and enjoying the warm weather paired with the cooling breeze the ocean brings.

And then there’s Erik, who’s pretending to read his book but actually replaying conversations he overheard last night when they were at Eden’s Twilight.

Nicky’s cousins had messaged him a few weeks earlier, asking him how much money he needed to finally visit Nicky. Erik had declined their offer for money, but nevertheless pulled out his savings and started looking for flights.

It was a surprise for Nicky, who he hadn’t seen in a while. They only facetime once every two weeks; they usually stick to emails instead, because their schedules don’t match up a lot with timezones. Erik would love to talk to him more,  _ see  _ him more, but they’re just close friends. He knows he shouldn’t expect too much more. 

They hadn’t seen each other in real life in over four years—not since Erik had dropped Nicky off at the airport to go back home.

“I’ll see you soon,” Nicky had said.

The concept of ‘soon’ is subjective, Erik supposes. Nicky had to look out for his cousins, go back to school. They tried their best not to lose touch, and what they have now is good too. Erik should remember that. And most days he can.

But after Nicky had screeched and hugged him, and they dropped his things off at their house, and they ate dinner and went to the club, Erik came to realize he didn’t really know this Nicky.

This Nicky is a lot more confident than the, frankly,  _ boy  _ he knew before. He wears revealing clothes, makes what Erik’s fairly sure are innuendos all the time, and, most surprisingly, flirts with everyone he meets.

That’s not really the problem, though. Well, it is annoying, sure. But that’s not what’s been plaguing his mind.

He was in the men’s room when he heard them, choosing a stall to sit down and escape the madness.

He wasn’t really paying attention until he heard Nicky’s name.

“—why don’t you just find Nicky then, you know he’s always gagging for it.”

“I don’t know, isn’t he a bit…”

“I thought you were desperate to get your dick wet?”

“Well yeah, but not ‘ _ club bicycle _ ’ desperate.”

“Don’t be like that, he’s clean. He’s good, too.”

“You’ve been with him?”

“Who hasn’t?” The guy laughed. “Seriously, you don’t even have to return the favor, he’s just a slut—”

That’s when Erik slammed the stall door open.

The two guys jumped, but apparently didn’t care that they were overheard. Erik pushed them to the side to wash his hands, probably a little more aggressively than needed.

He’d gone back to their table to find Nicky gone, and he ignored whatever look Andrew was sending him.

It shouldn’t bother him this much. It shouldn’t still bother him  _ now _ , the day after, when they’re enjoying the beach—and the extreme heat Erik isn’t used to but revels in—with only Nicky and his friends near him.

He lies to himself that he doesn’t care until he notices Nicky staring at the boardwalk more and more often.

“You want an ice cream?” Erik asks. “I can get you something.”

“No, haha, that’s okay,” Nicky forges a laugh. “I think, actually... “ He looks back at something, or someone, again. “I might go get a hot dog.”

Erik looks towards the nearly abandoned food truck with the hot dog sign in front. There’s a young guy—reasonably attractive, Erik supposes—behind the counter, and he winks in Nicky’s direction.

Ah.

“I can come with?” Erik tries, aware of how needy he must sound. He’s not used to feeling this way.

“That’s,” Nicky chuckles, “That’s okay, I won’t be long. You should go swimming!”

_ Ah. _

He waits a minute or two before finally giving up and following Nicky.

He’s flirting with the food truck guy, Erik can see that from a mile away, but Nicky’s face falls a little when he spots Erik.

“Erik!” Nicky grimaces. “Did you get hungry?”

“No, I uh…” Erik should have thought of an excuse beforehand. “I thought I’d help.”

“I’m fine,” Nicky says. “You can go swim.”

It sounds more like an order now, annoyance starting to become clear on Nicky’s face.

“Do you want my… hot dog or not?” the food truck guy says as he loses his patience. Very subtle. 

“Yes,” Nicky says, at the same time that Erik answers, “No.”

Nicky turns around with a huff. “I want a hot dog.”

“Nicky,” Erik starts, but Nicky snaps.

“Just, fuck off, Erik!” He immediately looks embarrassed. “I’m… Fuck, I’m sorry.”

Erik takes a slow step back as Nicky’s words pierce through. “No, I am.” 

He swallows his hurt, and smiles. He tries to mean it. “You can do whatever you want, Nicky. I’m sorry for interfering.”

He ignores whatever’s said behind him as he walks towards his towel, drops his shirt, and walks into the water. He vaguely notices Andrew yelling something at his brother before walking off, quickly followed by his mirror image.

Erik ignores them. He dives underwater and lets the silence clear his head. He pushes himself down as long as he can before coming up for air, then repeats it twice more. He swims back once he notices how far off he’s drifted and makes up his mind.

He has to ruffle through his bag to find his phone and hopes his internet connection won’t cost him a small fortune. He doubts there’s wifi on this beach.

A shade forms over him, quickly followed by a, “What are you doing?”

“Looking up return flights,” Erik says, not looking up.

Nicky makes a pained sound and plops down on the sand. “What? You just got here.”

Erik looks at Nicky, sees the anxiety all over him. “It’s uncomfortable with me here. I shouldn’t have sprung this on you. Hell, I don’t even know if you’re happy to see me.”

“That’s not fair, of course I’m happy! Don’t put words in my mouth.”

Erik sighs and watches as the page attempts to load for the third time. He locks his phone and rubs his hands through the wet strands of his hair.

“I’m not sure that I know you, is all. I keep questioning everything I do around you.”

Nicky looks hurt. “You know me. You know me better than anyone here.”

“Do I?” Erik asks. “Still?”

“You—” Nicky swallows thickly. “You saved me.”

Erik watches as Nicky struggles with his words, but he can tell it’s not his turn to talk.

“You made me feel good about myself. You told me I was beautiful.”

“You are,” Erik says.

“I like that,” Nicky whispers. “I like it when men tell me I’m pretty.”

“And you reward them for that?”

Nicky looks up, the pain easy to read on his face.

“I’m sorry, I’m saying this all wrong,” Erik grimaces. “It’s not my place to tell you what you can or can’t do with other guys. As long as you’re enjoying it, and you’re safe, then who am I to stop you?”

Nicky’s crying quietly, and Erik quickly moves closer, wonders if he can touch him, hug him like he used to.

“What if I don’t know?”

“Hmm?” Erik asks, feeling confident enough to take Nicky’s hand in his own and massage the knuckles.

“I mean, I enjoy it, as far as you can enjoy random hook-ups.”

“Well, then—”

“But they’re not...” Nicky hesitates. “I don’t think they’re what I really want.”

Erik watches as Nicky pushes his toes in the sand, the color of his skin glowing in the sunlight.

“So what do you want?”

Nicky snickers wetly. “I want Prince Charming, you know? Someone who’ll swoop me off my feet, hold me close, and tell me how lovely I am, without me having to get them off afterward.”

Erik swallows thickly. “You are  _ so  _ lovely, Nicky.”

“Please—”

“No, hear me out,” Erik cuts him off. “I hope you know how much I love you, no matter how you may feel about me. You deserve that life, and so much more.”

Nicky wipes away a stray tear and blurts out, “They’re not  _ you _ , Erik.”

“What?”

“The guys, the nameless fucks… They make me forget about you. Except that they don’t.” Nicky smiles wryly. “It never works. And they just remind me more of how I can’t have you.”

_ Oh. _

“Nicky,” Erik whispers, his hand cupping Nicky’s beautiful, lovely face. “I’m already yours.”


	4. Outdoor sports (Kevin//Aaron)

“This was a bad idea,” Kevin whines.

“Yeah, no shit,” Aaron says, huffing as he watches the wind pass through some of Kevin’s annoyingly shiny hair.

“Whose idea was this?” Kevin asks, holding on tight to the railing.

“Yours, fuckhead,” Aaron grunts. “You’re the one who got so fucking competitive you decided the losing team got a punishment. And then  _ lost _ .”

“We both lost,” Kevin says petulantly.

“I am incredibly aware.”

Kevin is stubbornly not looking down whatsoever. “I just don’t see why this had to be our punishment.”

Aaron quirks an eyebrow. “Really? You went up against Neil and Andrew and you thought they’d go easy on you?”

“Of course not,” Kevin says in a huff. “But did it have to be bungee jumping? Andrew hates heights.”

Aaron rolls his eyes at Kevin’s dumbassery, wondering if this makes him a morosexual. “Yes, that’s why he’s comfortably on the ground looking up at us and probably having the time of his life.”

He watches as Kevin’s fingers wrap tighter around the iron bars, listens to the little noises he makes when the platform moves a little in the wind. 

“Kevin,” Aaron starts and tries to keep the playful tone to a minimum. “Are you, by chance, afraid of heights?”

“No,” Kevin says, far too fast. “I’m just not a fan of sports that put your life in danger.”

“Uhu,” Aaron says.

“Did you know that eyesight damage is the most frequently reported complication from bungee jumping? Sometimes it takes weeks to resolve, and one time there was a woman who had lasting damage to her sight for seven months.”

“Really, tell me more.”

“If you’re jolted on the cord, you can get whiplash injuries, which could actually lead to a broken neck in extreme cases—”

“Oh my god, I was kidding, shut the fuck up, Kevin.”

Kevin snaps his mouth shut, pouting. “I don’t want to break my neck.”

“That’s funny because I want to. Break your neck I mean. If it will shut you the hell up, you big, oversized baby.”

One of the safety instructors clears his throat and Kevin jolts.

“We do offer couple jumps, if you’re interested.”

Oh no.

Kevin nearly cracks his neck looking back at Aaron, face hopeful and begging.

“No,” he says.

Kevin’s face turns determined as he faces the instructor again. “What would that mean exactly?”

“You both wear your harnesses, we tie your feet together and then tie those to the cord. Most couples like to, uh… hug.”

“ _ No _ , Kevin.”

“You don’t want to hug me?”

_ Not when they’re about to jump off a ledge a few hundred feet in the sky, he doesn’t. _

“Not the fucking point, Kevin!”

Kevin wipes the sweat from his brow, and Aaron really starts to think Kevin is a lot more scared then he’s even letting on. 

“What do you want in return?”

“What?”

Kevin licks his lips nervously. “If you jump with me, what can I do for you?”

Oh god, that’s… There are so many possibilities. 

The instructor clears his throat again. “We close at four, so uh…”

“God, fuck, fine! We’ll jump together.”

“Really?” Kevin almost cheers. 

“You owe me,” Aaron says as the instructors start tying them together. They push them closer and suddenly he’s close enough to smell Kevin, to feel the heat coming off his body.

“Whatever you want,” Kevin mumbles. “Do you want to uh…”

“What?”

“Hug?”

“I swear to God if I wasn’t tied to you, I would push you off myself.”

Kevin sighs. “Please? I don’t want to break my fucking neck. Or my spine. Or lose my eyesight.”

“Jesus, shut up, alright, I’ll fucking hug you.” Aaron wonders what the final nail in the coffin was that made God hate him this much. Being forced to hug a sweaty, hot Kevin Day, who somehow miraculously does not smell like sweat but more like prime beefcake, which, it turns out, Aaron is into. A lot. 

Kevin has strong arms. He can feel his muscles through his flimsy shirt and subconsciously sucks his own stomach in.

“Can you, uh…”

“Fuck,  _ what _ , Kevin?”

“Tuck your head in?”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“And then I can, like, hook my chin over your head and cradle us.”

“I don’t deserve this,” Aaron mutters under his breath. “I kill one guy and this is how the world treats me?”

He links his hands behind Kevin’s back and ignores how even that’s somewhat of a struggle, stupid, built, brick of a man.

Kevin’s arms wrap around his shoulders, squeezing him tight, and Aaron almost chokes on the scent of Kevin pressed right against his skin, with his nose tucked into his neck, his lips so close to the skin that Aaron could just move a fraction of an inch and kiss— 

“Ready to go?” The instructor interrupts his thoughts.

Aaron wants to say ‘no’, but he has a feeling that would work Kevin up even more, and he should be trying to get this over with, not extend it.

Aaron closes his eyes as the countdown starts, tries to enjoy this touch for as long as he can. 

“Fuck,” Kevin whispers, and then they’re flying.

Instead of screaming, like he thought he would, Aaron sucks in a big breath as they fall down. He grabs on tight to Kevin’s shirt, stretching out the fabric but he can feel Kevin do the same. Kevin is babbling a mile a minute, mostly swearwords Aaron can’t distinguish, and it’s only once the cord stretches out completely and they fly back up that Aaron breathes out with a laugh, whooping in surprise.

“Holy shit!” he yells, ecstatic and veins filled with adrenaline. “We just fucking flew!”

“Don’t remind me,” Kevin mutters, and that’s when Aaron notices he isn’t as elated as Aaron is.

“You good?”

“Do I _look_ good?”

_ Don’t answer that, Aaron. _

Hang on. Is that…

“Kevin?”

“Yeah?” Kevin squeaks.

“Do you uh… have something in your pockets, or…”

“Fuck,” Kevin swears, wincing. “No.”

“Oh.”

“Listen, I— It’s just adrenaline, okay? I read about it, it’ll go away if we can just… ignore it?”

Aaron doesn’t really think about what he’s going to say until it just comes out. “What if I don’t want to ignore it?”

Kevin sighs. “Don’t torture me—”

“What if I don’t want it to go away?” Aaron interrupts, clarifying himself.

There’s a range of emotions on Kevin’s face that Aaron’s enjoying following along, until he comes up with, “Not… here?”

“No, Kevin, I’m not gonna get you off while we’re hanging from a bungee cord.”

Kevin makes a sound like swallowing his tongue.

“But take me out for dinner, and maybe…”

“Maybe?”

“I can find a different reason for you to hold on tight to me.”

Kevin swallows thickly. “This is not helping me in getting rid of my erection.”

Aaron smirks.


	5. Sun lotion (Andrew//Neil)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rating changed to explicit!

Neil almost gets decapitated by a sunscreen bottle as he plops himself down in the sand. Alright fine, slight exaggeration, but it is Aaron who threw it, so.

Neil throws some sand on Aaron’s carefully stretched towel and smiles contentedly.

“Put that on, dumbass.”

Neil squints at the bottle lying at his feet. “Why?”

Aaron raises an eyebrow at Andrew who’s sitting behind Neil, but who doesn’t speak up. That either means he’s on Neil’s side and letting him handle himself, or it means he’s judging him too. He can never be entirely sure.

“Listen, you little twerp, we didn’t save your ass from the fucking mafia for you to die from skin cancer, you hear me? Your skin is literally translucent, fucking smear that shit on!”

“Aww,” Neil can’t resist the teasing. “I didn’t know you cared!”

Aaron’s face goes an alarming shade of red, and he turns to ruffle through his bag and hide.

Andrew reaches out and grabs the bottle, reading the back of it. When he’s pleased with what he’s found, he tugs at Neil’s shirt a little.

“You want a farmer’s tan?”

Neil pulls a face. “Nah, I’m good, actually.” He reaches over his shoulder to drag the shirt off and smiles a little when Andrew watches intently.

“Come on, lie down,” Andrew says, leering at him. Neil quickly complies. He’s faced out toward the ocean where he can see the rest of their friend group splashing about, and he takes a minute to take in he’s actually here.

He quickly loses track of that thought as an extra weight settles on him, Andrew sitting down on his butt. Oh hello.

“Oh, gross! That is  _ not  _ what I meant, fucking hell.”

“You can leave now,” Andrew says, his tone neutral but the tips of his fingers are pressing into Neil’s skin, making him shiver.

Aaron fakes a gag and walks away, leaving them both to it.

The cold liquid hits his back and startles Neil a little before he’s quickly relaxing under Andrew’s warming touch. His strong grip kneads his shoulders and makes its way down his spine, spreading the sun lotion slowly, massaging it in.

Neil leans his head on his hands, can’t help the little groans when Andrew puts pressure on some sore muscles, kinks in his back. Those turn into moans when Andrew’s hands make their way lower, first wrapping around his waist and reminding Neil how large they are and how small Neil is. After that, he circles slowly, steadily until his thumbs dip under the waistband of Neil’s shorts and Neil’s heart skips a beat.

Neil turns his head as far as he can to look at Andrew, but he’s looking out at the ocean, sunglasses hiding his eyes.

“Okay?” he asks, restarting the massage when Neil nods quickly. His thumbs move down again, a little more this time, dragging the shorts down with them to where Neil’s sure the sun would never reach.

“Can you be quiet?” Andrew asks, squeezing his skin a little, digging his fingers in until Neil feels owned. “Don’t move, okay?”

“Yeah,” Neil sighs.

Andrew pulls the shorts down further until Neil’s cheeks are exposed to the open air, his fabric tight enough underneath to push them up. Andrew moves back just a little so he sits on his thighs, but close enough for Neil to feel his growing erection through his own shorts.

“Fuck, Andrew,” Neil whines quietly, but still Andrew shushes him.

“Quiet, baby,” Andrew says, voice deceptively calm. “You wouldn’t want anyone to find you like this, now would you?”

Neil makes an embarrassing sound, one Andrew knew he would make.

His fingers dig in harder, the touch smooth with the help of the lotion, and every other move Andrew’s fingers get closer to where Neil wants them most. He’s hard, the tight shorts not helping as his erection is pressed up against himself, no friction other than what the sand underneath his towel allows.

“If they turned around now, do you think they would see us?” Andrew asks, one thumb slipping into his crack. His other fingers quickly join in with more lotion, and Neil is fully aware of what will happen next.

“Maybe,” he whispers.

“Wouldn’t want that, would we?” Andrew says with a smirk, no doubt. “Get up on your elbows, then.”

It’s a struggle, one with only a minimum of relief before he can hear rustling behind him. Then, Andrew moves, and Neil can feel him sliding against his skin.

He can’t stop himself from moaning as Andrew’s hard, hot cock slips in between his cheeks, smoothed by all the lotion and flesh surrounding him. 

“Oh my god, Andrew,” Neil whines softly, shaking on his arms to hide what they’re doing from any wandering eyes.

“Shh, baby,” Andrew says, squeezing his cheeks tighter together, sliding through slowly. “I’ve got you.”

Neil groans as Andrew’s thrusts increase, and it feels dirty and wrong, but  _ right _ . 

“Faster,” Neil demands, wants to look away from the ocean but needs to know if they’re still hidden enough as Andrew comes as close to fucking him as they can here. Warm, comforting slides make Neil want to wish for him to slip accidentally, press up against him by accident and maybe dip inside, just a little—

“You’re desperate, aren’t you?” Andrew asks. “You want it so bad?”

“Fuck,  _ yes _ .”

“Tell me, Neil.”

Neil moans and hangs his head but Andrew’s hand grabs hold of his hair and tugs it back up.

“Tell me.”

“I want you to come on me,” Neil admits and blushes, his entire face growing warmer than he thought possible.

“Where?” Andrew continues to torture him, his hands moving to grab his hips tightly, pushing Neil into the ground.

“Fuck, on my back,” Neil moans, biting his lip to keep the noises in.

Andrew’s thrusts become more frantic, rushing as he comes closer and closer to orgasm, eventually groaning as Neil feels splashes hit his hot back.

Andrew’s strong hands are quick to tug Neil’s shorts back up, but he doesn’t move, and Neil only knows why when his hands go back to massaging his back.

“Andrew—”

“Gotta take care of your skin, Neil. I have to rub it all in or you’ll get spots.”

Neil hopes to fuck Andrew’s decent as he drops his head to his arms and shakes a little. “Fuck.”

“Hmm,” Andrew agrees. “Time for a swim, I think. And maybe I’ll help you out.

“Andrew,” Neil chokes out. “I can’t move like this. They’ll see.”

Andrew stands up and slowly takes in Neil’s body as he turns to the side to show his pressing situation.

“Hmm,” he repeats. “Better start running, then.”


	6. Picnic (Andrew//Neil)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't ask me what happened here because i don't know either

Turns out Aaron has a twin brother.

It also turns out that when Aaron texts Neil “meet me on the college green at 3 for a picnic, byof’ what he really means is ‘I’ll be late to our meet-up and I won’t tell you, so you’ll arrive at the college green and see an angrier, more emo version of me and start to think you’re losing your mind’. 

This guy does have a blanket laid out, and he’s eating cheese puffs out of his backpack, so Neil doesn’t think he’s in the wrong space. Or universe.

“Hi,” he says after walking up to him in the least ‘ _ stranger danger _ ’ way he knows.

The doppelgänger raises a brow and keeps chewing on his flavored air. Neil plops down a reasonable distance away and checks his phone to see if Aaron has said anything.

‘sry ran into kate, be there soon’

“Aaron’s gonna be late, I’m betting at least half an hour,” Neil says.

The guy checks his own phone, grunts, and rolls his eyes.

When nothing else follows, Neil shrugs and takes out the salad he bought from the bodega nearby. There’s a little wooden fork included, and he suffers through the feeling of wood against his teeth along with a somewhat disappointing box of greens.

When he’s done, he notices Aaron’s twin is still taking out cheese puffs. 

“How many of those did you bring?”

The double smirks and opens the backpack further, showing off the giant tub of cheesy treats barely being contained by the fabric.

Neil grins because he doesn’t know what else to do, and silence returns to them.

The college green is not too busy, which is surprising given the weather today. Luckily they’ve found themselves in a rare bit of shade, and every now and then a breeze rolls through the trees.

The guy is… interesting, Neil supposes. Sure, he looks exactly like Aaron, but on the other hand, he doesn’t. At all.

Neil wonders why Aaron has never mentioned him, but knowing Aaron he probably just assumed he did and forgot about it.

This edgier, more fashionable, more irritable version of him is intriguing, and Neil wants to crack this cold exterior, just a little bit.

“So,” he starts. “How do you know Aaron?”

It brings Neil so much joy to see the confusion spread on his face, the incredulous look that morphs into surprise. Then, even better, the corner of his mouth quirking up because he knows Neil got him.

“You’re an asshole,” he says, shaking his head.

“Yep,” Neil smiles. “And you are?”

“Andrew,” Andrew says. “I’m guessing he didn’t tell you about me?”

“Neil,” Neil returns the favor. “And nope.”

“Don’t feel too bad, he didn’t know I existed either until two years ago.”

Neil doesn’t know how to reply to that, so he just looks at Andrew. It’s a nice view, he won’t lie.

“Can I try one?” He points at the bag of processed cheese powder.

When Andrew sets the plastic jar in between them, Neil gives it a go and feels it dissolve into his mouth.

“This is disgusting.”

“Yeah,” Andrew says, putting three more in his mouth. 

“Why did you even buy them then?”

Andrew shrugs. “Seemed funny in the store. Less funny now that I don’t have anything else to eat, but I won’t give in.”

Neil looks around the park, brightening when he finds what he’s looking for.

“The coffee cart is here, I’m sure they have cookies.”

Andrew stares at him.

“You okay?”

He clears his throat. “Cookies?”

“Yeah,” Neil stands and wipes the non-existent grass off his pants, moving already. “Preference?”

“Chocolate chip,” Andrew answers, loud enough for Neil to hear as he walks away grinning slightly.

The look on Andrew’s face when Neil drops the head-sized cookie on his lap is something Neil wants to remember forever.

It’s unfeigned glee, paired with… arousal.

Andrew nearly swallows a bite whole, a look of ecstasy on his face, and Neil feels like he’s intruding on something.

“Are you horny for sugar or something?”

The look disappears, replaced by a dead glare instead and Neil hates himself just a little.

“You ruined my moment,” Andrew says. 

“Felt like you and the cookie needed a room.”

“Could make it a threesome,” Andrew mumbles around another bite, so Neil could have misheard him.

“Huh?”

“You want some?” Andrew asks. “Cookie?”

Neil shakes his head. “I had a salad.”

“Are you a masochist?” Andrew asks, head tilted sideways. “Is that where the scars come from?”

“Holy fuck,” Neil laughs at his brashness. “No, just a bad childhood.”

“Same,” Andrew says, throwing up a casual peace sign.

“Cool,” Neil says, because he can’t think of anything else.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Andrew asks, “How much you wanna bet Aaron won’t show up at all?”

“You think?” 

“I think he got invited for some afternoon delight.”

Neil pulls a face. “I don’t understand that reference.”

“They’re fucking,” Andrew says.

“Oh.” Neil looks off into the distance.

Andrew waves something in his face. It takes Neil a few seconds to realize it’s a marker. 

“Can I draw on your arm?”

Neil scratches at his exposed skin. He hadn’t worn a long-sleeved shirt, because he thought it’d just be him and Aaron. “It’s all… bumpy.”

Andrew looks at his eyes, then down to his skin, then at his eyes again.

“It’s a marker, not a tattoo gun. I think we’ll be fine.”

Neil rolls his eyes. Eventually, he just decides to stop thinking about things. He has no idea what this day is turning into, but it’s fun. He’s having fun. He stretches out his arm, and Andrew starts drawing.

There’s something to be said about the intimacy of a simple touch. The feeling of Andrew’s hands on his skin as he holds him steady, the decisive but soft strokes against him that tickle. And then there’s the sight of Andrew right in front of him, marker cap gripped tight between his teeth and his tongue sticking out just a little, making Neil want to reach out and touch—

When it’s done, Andrew throws the marker to the side and tells him, “Don’t move, it’s gotta dry.”

He was too distracted to pay attention while Andrew was drawing, but now he can take it in. It’s a cartoon cookie, complete with chocolate chips, highlighted and shaded too.

“You’re good at this,” Neil says, hoping his surprise isn’t offensive.

“Art major,” Andrew says. “So I should hope so.”

Neil grins and takes another closer look at the artwork on his skin.

“You wanna get out of here?” Andrew asks.

“Where to?”

“Let’s get you some food that isn’t made of leaves,” Andrew suggests. “What are you, a fucking rabbit?”

“Fuck you,” Neil responds with a grin.


	7. Roller skates (Jeremy//Jean)

“This is a shitshow,” Wymack says, pacing around the narrow corridor. “How the hell are we gonna make it through tonight with Reynolds and Walker out?”

Jean stares at the scuffed up floor and hopes Wymack won’t notice he’s there.

Apparently he was breathing a bit too loudly. That or Kevin pointed at him, like the daddy’s boy he is.

“Moreau,” Wymack grunts. “You’re up.”

Jean looks up, panicked. “No, I’m not.”

“Listen, kid,” Wymack says, at least looking a little apologetic about it. “You’re my only hope.”

“I’ll fall on my face,” Jean says. “I can’t do it.”

“You trained for this,” Kevin interjects. “We all did.”

Jean scoffs, “I haven’t been out there in months, Kevin. I’ll be a laughing stock.”

“Could bring good publicity, though,” Neil says, and Jean wonders when he even got here. He was outside for a smoke break, last Jean checked. 

“Me falling on my face would bring good publicity?”

Neil shrugs. “Any publicity is good publicity.”

“Not sure if that counts for retro diners,” Kevin admits.

“Moreau.” Wymack whistles to get his attention. “Get your skates on and start practicing. We open in ten minutes and you know how busy the lunch rush gets.

“I hate all of you.”

* * *

Jean hates everyone, but in particular, every single person that sits in his section and doesn’t just shut up and eat their food.

“Excuse me, half of my milkshake is gone,” some uppity woman complains at him as if he doesn’t know that. The other half is on the floor somewhere between this table and the kitchen.

“I’m sorry,” Jean grimaces. ‘I’ll be sure to bring you another half right away.”

He tries not to shake as he lets go of the table, pushing off and hoping it’s enough to reach the next table he’s wanted at.

He almost loses his balance again, so he’s a little testy when he says, “Yes? Order?”

“Uh…,” a warm-sounding voice says, prompting Jean to look up from his notepad.

Fuck, he’s handsome. And Jean looks like his legs grew overnight and he’s not sure how they work yet.

“Well,” the guy says, smiling kindly. “What do you recommend?”

Jean stares at him for a few seconds. “Nothing liquid. Please.”

“Sorry?”

Jean could slap himself, but that would more than likely make him lose his balance. It wouldn’t be the first time today.

“You can uh… sit down?” the sun personified says, and fuck, Jean wishes he could.

He reluctantly shakes his head. “I can’t, Wymack would kick my ass if I break the illusion.”

“Got it,” the guy chuckles. “So, nothing liquid?”

“Not unless you only want half of it,” Jean shrugs. “Or you could move sections, but Kevin is starting to notice.”

“Kevin?”

Jean grips the table firmly as he gestures his head in Kevin’s direction. “Wymack’s son. Show-off. Do you want to move?”

The sun trailing in through the gauzy curtains glimmers on the man’s blond curls, and Jean really wants him to stay, if only so Jean can look at him a little longer.

“I’m good right here, thanks,” he smiles. He takes another quick look at their laminated menu, then asks Jean with a straight face. “Is your French toast any good?”

Jean almost starts on his Wymack-approved glorifying speech —there is a template where you can fill in the blank with whatever food option is being questioned— before he realizes he’s being set up.

He glares. “The guy who claimed to have invented it was a dumbass called French,” he begins to explain, unable to ignore the impulse. “There is no actual correlation between the French Republic and the eggy bread.” 

Beautiful Stranger lifts an attractive brow. 

Jean almost swallows his tongue. “It’s decent.”

“Excellent,” he says. “I don’t suppose coffee…”

Jean grimaces, remembering the numerous burns on his hands from today’s coffee serving. “Can I bribe you into getting a to-go cup?”

“Of course,” he smiles. “When’s your next break?”

“Oh thank fuck,” Jean exhales. “I mean… Thank god. I didn’t just swear at a customer.”

“I didn’t hear anything,” the stranger agrees. 

Jean checks his watch and almost drops to his knees. Well, that’s been happening all day, to be honest.

“I can have my break in five minutes,” he says, relief probably evident in his voice.

“Great! Would you want to join me? I’ll even share some of my eggy bread if you want?”

Jean tries not to feel embarrassed making his clumsy way over to the kitchen where he usually works, puts in the order, and sits down to breathe for a minute. He doesn’t stop to wonder why a handsome young man went along with his terrible customer service and even asked him to join him during his break because if he lets those thoughts in, he’ll for sure land on his face. And both Kevin and Neil will laugh like the evil gremlins they are.

He does his absolute best to skate in a straight line without wobbling and feels moderately successful when he only bumps into the table a little bit, the French toast and to-go cup full of coffee safe in his hands.

He sets them down with a Wymack-trained smile before crashing into the bench opposite the guy, who’s smirking at him.

“First day?”

“Unfortunately not,” Jean grumbles. “I normally do dishes.”

“Ah,” the man smiles. “Bon appétit!” 

It’s unexpected enough to rip a startled laugh out of Jean. 

“Jean,” the stranger muses after swallowing a bite, looking at Jean’s clipped-on name tag. He pronounces it right and everything. “This is nice.”

Jean clears his throat. “I’ll tell the chef.”

“Hmm. I didn’t mean the toast.”

Jean feels something fluttering in his stomach when he realizes his meaning. “And you? Uh… Your name?”

There’s some powdered sugar stuck to the stranger’s lips, and Jean would love to help him get rid of it.

“Jeremy,” he says, licking his lips clean. “When does your shift end?”


	8. Barbecue (Andrew//Neil)

Neil comes back from his run to find Andrew standing in front of the fridge. The fridge is beeping, signaling Andrew must have been there for at least a minute or two, and Neil’s curious nature gets the better of him.

The fridge is absolutely filled to the brim with meat. From what Neil can see there are sausages, steaks, ribs, burgers, and that’s only the first row.

Neil hooks his chin over Andrew’s shoulder and joins in the staring. “Hello,” he says, kissing Andrew’s neck briefly.

“Hmm,” Andrew replies.

“Kevin or Nicky?”

Andrew points at the sink where two empty bottles of Vodka are telling their own story.

Ah. Kevin.

“He up?”

“No,” Andrew says, voice still gruff from not being awake for long.

Sure, the fridge keeps beeping, but it’s also cooling them down in the dorm room that’s beginning to overheat. Neil places his hands on Andrew’s hips and trusts Andrew to tell him if it’s not allowed.

“Do we know what caused it?”

“He’s pining,” Andrew says, finally grabbing a sole can of soda from the door, where, remarkably, more meat is stored. 

Neil grabs a glass of water and joins Andrew on the beanbags. “He told you?”

“He’s not subtle.”

“So, you know for who?”

“Didn’t know you liked gossip,” Andrew says, and Neil almost denies it before he sees through Andrew’s deflection.

“You don’t know, do you?”

Andrew sips his soda, even though it’s ten in the morning.

“Alright, he’s a  _ little  _ subtle.”

Neil snorts.

An hour and a loud thump later, Kevin shows his face in their living room.

“‘Time ‘s it?”

“Late,” Andrew says.

“I made you a smoothie,” Neil smiles, ignoring Andrew’s poorly hidden smirk. “Check the fridge.”

Kevin mumbles a thanks and walks over, then opens the door.

“The fuck.”

“Hmm,” Andrew says.

“Who did—”

“Sink,” Neil interrupts.

“Ah.”

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Kevin finally moves. “Barbecue party, then?”

Andrew looks away from Neil’s eyes and briefly stops trailing his fingertips over Neil’s palm. “That better not be a question for help.”

“And if it is?”

“I’m busy,” Andrew says.

“Doing what?”

Andrew turns to glare at Kevin. “Either you go next door and start planning or stay here and tell me who you have a little crush on.”

Kevin garbles a little. “Right. I’ll… Later?”

Neil laughs after the door falls shut behind Kevin. “You wanted him to stay and spill, right?”

“Shut up,” Andrew says, before leaning in and making sure he does.

* * *

Kevin ends up talking to Allison, which ensures that the afternoon is not a total fail. She organizes everything, invites enough people to make up for the frankly alarming amount of meat Kevin bought in his drunken stupor, even gets a high-end barbecue delivered and installed on the lawn in front of their dorm building within the hour.

Neil and Andrew don’t stay in the hustle and bustle for too long. They each have a plate of food, check that everyone’s okay, and go for a walk to a nearby park.

They find a swing set and make it their own, a slide Andrew refuses to go on but Neil won’t stop going up for repeats, a jungle gym Andrew climbs to prove he can, even if it’s just to himself.

They take turns spinning each other on the roundabout until they’re dizzy and drunk on giggles, and when they can’t walk straight they just lay down on the grass to stare up at the sky.

When the world stops spinning above his eyes, Neil turns to the side to find Andrew’s steady, grounding look. His hand forming itself around Neil’s jaw before tugging his chin closer within reach.

His lips taste of orange soda, which Neil knows he drinks because it’s the only soda Neil can stand. His touch is gentle on Neil’s skin, gentler than it’s ever been in public —if that’s what you can call this abandoned park.

Neil doesn’t need three guesses to know what he’s thinking about.

“So, you leave in nine days.”

Andrew sighs through his nose. “We’re not talking about it.”

“Hey,” Neil kisses him quickly, teasingly. “Remind me, since I don’t have a perfect memory like you do… Didn’t I hear you mention a barbecue to Kevin last week?”

Andrew stills next to him.

“I don’t know.”

“And I could swear… I saw you talking to a tipsy Kevin last night.”

“Wow, the mind of a child truly is a wild and imaginative place.”

Neil starts to grin. “If I didn’t know any better I’d start to think you had something to do with Kevin’s little late night shopping spree.”

“And do you? Know better?” Andrew deadpans, but Neil can read him like an open book at this point.

“That sure was a lot of meat.”

“Hmm,” Andrew agrees.

“Seems like a lot for one grown man to carry around for a few blocks.”

“Weirder things have happened.”

“Say, where’s the nearest 24-hour grocery store?”

“No idea, Neil, why don’t you tell me.”

“I think it’s at least a fifteen-minute drive. Must be a good half an hour walk, if not more for a drunk guy.”

“Your point, Neil?” Andrew’s getting impatient, his fingertips pressing underneath his jaw, lips so close Neil can breathe him in.

“Unless he had a car,” he says before trying to nip at Andrew’s bottom lip. “And a driver.”

“Now who would want to do that,” Andrew whispers before kissing Neil, biting at his lips and swallowing his moan.

Neil escapes for a brief moment, only to get the last word in. “Did you set this all up, ‘Drew?”

Andrew pushes him over to settle on top of him. He traces Neil’s lips with his thumb and smirks. “No one will ever believe you.”


	9. Tan lines (Kevin//Aaron)

Aaron’s newfound love for skating is ruining Kevin’s life. And his sanity. Mostly his sanity.

It means Aaron wears lowrise ripped black skinny jeans, the waistband of his boxers on show above, and then nothing else. He goes around half-naked in this tropical august heat, and while Kevin has some safety concerns with all that bare skin, he’s also very horny.

So he doesn’t really complain.

It’s only been a couple of minutes since Aaron arrived at their dorm, sweat dripping down his neck and chest, with Kevin staring at his happy trail leading into those boxers that Kevin wants to tear down with his teeth.

He figured he’d have more time to cool himself down, but it doesn’t take long for Aaron to walk back in from the bathroom in low-slung sweats, showing off his defined v pointing towards Kevin’s dream destination, all while casually toweling his hair off.

That’s when Kevin notices the line.

It starts a good inch or two above the sweatpants, a perimeter of paler skin compared to everything above. It must be where Aaron always wears his boxers when he goes out to skate, and it’s been long enough now to leave its mark.

“You staring at my dick, Day?”

Kevin looks up, caught in the act. “No,” he answers honestly and watches slight confusion spread on Aaron’s face.

“Pity,” he says, shrugging and throwing the wet towel in the direction of their bathroom.

Kevin laughs nervously. “Yeah right.”

Aaron pulls a face. “What does that mean?”

“I mean,” Kevin gestures around himself. “We’re never really alone here, are we?”

Aaron looks unimpressed. “We’ve hooked up at the house.”

“That was… private,” Kevin says.

“Since when is sucking me off in the kitchen private?” Aaron scoffs. “Listen, I’m not forcing you to do anything, but if you’re gonna stare at my dick, I’m gonna confront you about it.”

“I wasn’t staring at your dick.”

Aaron just looks at him.

“Alright fine, it wasn’t just your dick,” Kevin admits. “You’re all… tan. And then like… not tan.”

Aaron looks down at himself and Kevin watches the muscles in his abdomen move.

Then, he grins, and Kevin regrets ever bringing it up. “My tan lines turning you on, Day?”

“I told you to call me Kevin.”

“Kevin,” Aaron replies, voice gone breathy which Aaron knows goes immediately to Kevin’s dick.

“Fuck.”

“You don’t wanna suck my cock?” Aaron pouts, and Kevin knows he’s being played but he can’t resist him. He can see Aaron’s erection forming under the loose sweatpants, proof he’s got nothing on underneath them too.

“I do,” Kevin groans, moving to stand up when Aaron pushes his shoulders so he sits back down. It brings Kevin’s head in a perfect position to be tortured by Aaron as he grabs his own cock through the sweats, outlining it and showing off how hard he already is, for him, for  _ Kevin _ .

“Can we go to the bedroom?” Kevin pleads, but Aaron smirks as he shakes his head.

“If you’re scared someone will walk in on us…” Aaron pretends to think and pets Kevin’s head. “You’ll just have to make sure you’re fast.”

This little shit is lucky Kevin is as into him as he is, but he also has his limits, so he stands, pushes a hand to Aaron’s hot, hard chest and pushes him, pushes him all the way until his back hits a wall and Kevin has some semblance of control back.

“Is that a challenge?” Kevin grins, sinking to his knees. “You think I can’t get you to come quickly, babe?”

“Don’t call me that,” Aaron says, but Kevin has his hand on Aaron’s cock and he felt that little twitch.

“No?” Kevin starts to mouth at his cock through the sweats, pushing his nose up against it and moving his hands up to those tan lines, spreading his fingers out over Aaron’s skin like he owns him. “I think you like it.”

Aaron doesn’t object, doesn’t say anything really once Kevin pulls the pants down and lets Aaron’s cock bump into his face. He trails hot, open kisses up and down the shaft, down his balls and all the way back to the tip, suckling a little at the drops of precome forming.

Aaron may not have agreed to the challenge, but Kevin’s a competitive asshole, and he really doesn’t want to be caught by anyone, so he gets to work.

He tugs at the sweatpants until Aaron steps out of them, leaning fully naked against the wall as if he walked straight out of Kevin’s dreams.

Then, when Aaron looks a bit too comfortable, Kevin grabs his leg and helps him maneuver it over his shoulder. Aaron gasps and slams his hands up against the wall for balance, but Kevin’s got him, and he takes one of Aaron’s hands to place on his head. 

Aaron relaxes and closes his eyes, so Kevin descends and takes one of Aaron’s balls into his mouth, licking and sucking on it until Aaron’s fingers pull on Kevin’s hair, which to Kevin seems like the perfect sign to do the same to his other testicle. Aaron tugs at his hair, moves to scratch at Kevin’s neck when that doesn’t work, and then, finally, Kevin relents and pulls off.

“Fuck. You.” Aaron’s breathing heavily, his knee clenched on Kevin’s shoulder.

“Stop talking,” Kevin orders, then opens wide and swallows Aaron’s cock down to the root.

The surprised scream echoes through their dorm, followed by a deep groan Kevin can’t help but copy it around Aaron’s cock, drooling around the heavy weight on his tongue.

It’s messy, absolutely filthy the way Kevin slurps when he pulls off and greedily sinks back down, bobbing his head as he moans at the feeling of the tip of Aaron’s cock hitting the back of his throat.

When he notices Aaron’s close, so close but stubbornly holding it back, he moves his hands from where they were caressing his balls to just behind them, pushing against the sensitive skin. Aaron starts to shiver, and Kevin speeds up his mouth because he knows him by now, and he knows Aaron is not good at holding his orgasms at bay when you press the right buttons.

Aaron pulls at his hair, then switches to pushing Kevin’s head off but he’s too pent up, too distracted to put much force behind it so Kevin keeps sucking, keeps blowing him until his come hits him in the back of his throat and Kevin swallows around him.

He doesn’t move back immediately, sloppily licks and kisses Aaron’s cock through the aftershocks before sitting back and clicking his watch.

The faint beep is loud enough for Aaron to open his eyes curiously, and Kevin so enjoys it when it clicks.

“Four minutes and thirty-six seconds,” Kevin reads off. “A personal worst for you, if I remember correctly.”

Aaron scoffs and kicks Kevin in the shin as he stands up straight, pulling his discarded sweats back on. “Have fun jerking yourself off,” he yells as he noisily closes the bedroom door behind him.

Kevin laughs happily, then decides to wait a minute before moving.

The door opens again, creaking just a little, enough for Kevin to hide his pleased little laugh.

“You coming or what?”

Kevin smirks. “I hope so.”

Aaron rolls his eyes and hits the side of the door. “Get your ass over here, you fucking pest.”


	10. Popsicle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: implied/referenced child abuse  
> this one's sad pals, sorry

Andrew has seen the kid before, trying his hardest to blend in at school. He’s doing a good job of it, too, if not for the fact that Andrew notices shifty behavior and the bruises that sometimes appear overnight.

They’ve never spoken before, because Andrew doesn’t care about anyone, doesn’t have time to worry about other people’s home lives when his own is in the state that it is.

Any second he can spend away from home is a second well spent.

He’s not sure he can count today as a lucky one when his foster dad had thrown an icebox of cheap, tasteless popsicles his way and told him he couldn’t come back in until he made a hundred bucks selling them.

The door got slammed in his face, the click of the three locks inside telling Andrew they were serious. 

He wouldn’t care about sleeping out on the street, but his backpack with everything he owns is still inside. Besides, even if Andrew does escape, the cops always find him after a while and deliver him straight back to an angry family who is terrified of losing their benefits.

So, here he is, on the corner of the street near a run-down park, with an icebox full of melting treats and his naturally sunny disposition, wondering how the hell he’s gonna earn money from this.

And there is the kid.

He’s similar in age, really, maybe one year younger than Andrew. He’s fearless as he sits down next to Andrew, only the icebox between them.

“What’s in there,” he asks daringly, but not daring enough to open it and take a look, which Andrew appreciates.

“Organs,” he deadpans.

The kid nods like he understands completely. “Any plans with them?”

“Depends on if you have directions to the black market.”

He shakes his head sadly. “Haven’t been here long enough to know directions.”

Andrew tsks. “Guess I’ll just have to wait for someone to pass by with money.”

They sit in comfortable silence for a while, until Andrew’s curiosity gets the better of him.

“So what’s your name?”

“I go to your school,” he says. “Don’t you know my name?”

“Your real name,” Andrew clarifies. He doesn’t need this ‘Alex’ bullshit, he knows when someone’s hiding something.

The kid isn’t as surprised as Andrew thought he might be. He just shrugs and says, “You can call me Abram, then.”

Abram.

Good enough for Andrew.

“So what’s really in the box?”

Andrew sighs through his nose and caves. “Ice cream. Popsicles, or at least they used to be. I’m not willing to open it up and check.”

“Why?” Abram pulls a face. 

“Gotta make money from them or I can’t go home.” It’s refreshing being able to just be honest with someone, not sure if he wants to scare Abram off or take him under his guard.

Abram looks away for a minute, and Andrew leaves him to his thoughts.

Then, “I have money.”

Andrew almost cracks his neck. “Really?” He can’t help but sneer at Abram’s outfit, which looks like it came from the same store Andrew’s secondhand clothes come from.

Abram smirks. “I didn’t say it was  _ my  _ money.”

Andrew doesn’t know what to make of this dude. “Not to underestimate your pickpocketing skills, but this place is literally deserted.

Abram bites his lips and Andrew pointedly looks away.

“You need it, yeah?”

Andrew shrugs, which is as close to admitting it as he’ll go.

Apparently Abram lives around the corner. When Andrew sees the house, he realizes it’s more like they’re squatting there, but Andrew is the last person to judge on that front.

He says his mom is out for errands, but still keeps Andrew tucked away behind the house as he goes in to grab some money. When the coast is clear, Abram drags Andrew with him towards a forest nearby, somewhere shady and hidden from the overbearing sun.

Abram hands him the money, which Andrew shoves in his sock before opening the icebox.

“Can’t let these go to waste.”

They spend the rest of the afternoon getting high on sugar and laughter, Abram being a lot more interesting than Andrew had anticipated, even prettier with random rays of sunlight coming through the trees and landing on his face.

“Blond doesn’t suit you,” Andrew says, not able to resist pulling gently on one of the locks of hair that’s teasing at Abram’s face.

“I know,” he says, smiling. “Not really what I would pick either, but needs must.”

He hasn’t told Andrew about the reason for the fake name, the dyed hair, or the frumpy clothes even though he and his mom apparently have stacks of cash lying around, and Andrew won’t ask either.

Abram reaches out and holds Andrew’s hand in his, making Andrew’s heart beat faster than it ever has before, but the touch is wanted. It is so wanted.

There’s some scarring on Abram’s knuckles, just like there’s some scarring on Andrew’s arms, and they’re ignoring both. They link fingers lazily, and it takes a minute for Andrew to realize, to remember that this is what it’s like to feel happy.

“Are you gonna be okay?” Abram asks him.

Andrew shrugs. He can’t be sure. His foster dad has all kinds of moods when he’s drunk, so whether Andrew brings him the money or not, he could expect a visit in the middle of the night.

“You?”

Abram shrugs and smiles. “We’ll see.”

When the sun goes down behind the trees, there’s no excuse for either of them to stay out. Abram’s mom will be back from her errands, and Andrew wouldn’t be selling popsicles in the dark.

They stop at the intersection between their streets and Abram tugs at Andrew’s fingers one last time. 

Without a word, they both walk away.

The next morning, Andrew only spots Abram once. He’s joined by who Andrew guesses is his mom as he’s practically being pulled through the hallway, heading away from the principal’s office. He has a black eye and a split lip.

They don’t speak. Not until five years later.


	11. Day trip (Nicky//Erik)

“Do you remember the last time we were here?” Erik asks as he parks in the abandoned car park. They’re surrounded by trees that slowly gather into a forest the further up they go, eventually covering the mountain on all sides. There’s one path that leads from the car park to the base of the mountain, and Nicky recognizes this mountain from his nightmares.

“Yes,” he says, hiding his pout. “That was really… something, huh?”

“It must have been four years since our last hike,” Erik smiles. “Hasn’t changed a bit.”

Unlike them, Nicky thinks.

Four years ago, Nicky had come out here with Erik and the rest of the Kloses for a fun, athletic afternoon where they would hike up a mountain, no big deal.

Very big deal.

Nicky had suffered tremendously, not only due to not being able to breathe and having to stop what felt like every five minutes, but somewhere halfway up the mountain Erik deemed it necessary to take his shirt off.

After he saw Nicky staring, Erik asked him if he wanted to take his own off too, but Nicky laughed him off and endured the feeling of a sweat-soaked shirt on his back for the rest of the trip.

Erik’s family are all experienced hikers, so they entrusted Erik to look out for Nicky and made their own way up the trail.

It’s a weird feeling, knowing that last time he was here he spent the majority of his time pining for Erik and his muscles. Now, here he is, with his fiancé, ready to do it all over again.

Well. Not entirely ready, but willing, regardless.

Erik tugs him closer and chuckles goodnaturedly. “We’ll take our time, don’t look so down. No rush, alright?”

“Except for my reward at the top,” Nicky needs to make sure.

“Yes,” Erik blushes. “I did promise you.”

“Good,” Nicky nods. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

* * *

The hike goes marginally better than last time, what with Nicky actually having some muscles now, but it’s been a while since his last exy match, so he convinces Erik to carry him on his back for the last couple hundred yards.

He makes sure to whisper, “my sexy mountain man,” in his ear, and enjoys watching it turn red.

The heat isn’t as suppressing either, they made sure to pick a nice day where the temperature was bearable, the air not too dry. Fine, Erik looked it all up, and even then, Nicky had to be convinced to come along.

He does feel extremely accomplished when they reach the top of the mountain, especially when Erik turns around and kisses him right then and there, reaching his arms around his back and lifting him.

It’s second nature for Nicky to link his legs behind Erik’s back and for Erik to grab hold of his thighs instead, holding him steady.

Erik’s hands slip under the bottom hem of Nicky’s shorts and Nicky moans into Erik’s mouth, deepening the kiss and dragging his fingers through Erik’s thick curls.

He nips at Erik’s bottom lip and huffs a happy little sigh.

“Okay, time for my reward?”

Erik squeezes the skin of his thighs before setting him down and looking around nervously.

“Nicky,  _ Schatz _ , are you sure about this?”

“You’re so cute when you’re flustered,” Nicky grins. 

They walk around for a bit before deciding on a spot with an excellent view and Nicky drops their backpack on the ground and starts ruffling inside.

When he stands up, triumphantly holding the lube, Erik is still wearing his clothes.

Now that’s just not right.

“Babe,” Nicky whines. “You promised me.”

“No one’s here?”

“Look around you,” Nicky says, pointing at the wide expanse of open-air and tops of trees surrounding them. In the rare case someone would make their way up the mountain while they were here, they would definitely notice it.

And besides, isn’t the possibility of getting caught half the fun?

Nicky kicks off his shoes and socks, strips himself of his shirt, and is happy to see Erik follow every movement, shifting his stance wider when Nicky drops the shorts too.

“Fuck,” Erik curses. “A jockstrap, Nicky?”

“You don’t like it?” Nicky pouts and turns around to show off the way the elastic straps push up and frame his ass. This is a bluff, of course, he knows Erik is basically in love with his ass.

Erik reaches behind his neck and yanks his shirt off in one go, making Nicky’s heart pump wilder. He’ll never get tired of seeing Erik naked. 

“Hands and knees,” Erik says, his tone of voice so deep and convincing all at once that Nicky has no choice but to sink to the ground, protecting his knees with their discarded clothes.

He only has time to breathe in deeply once before Erik grabs him by the hips and pulls him back, and then there’s a lick at his hole. Nicky gasps at the unexpected touch, turns it into moans as Erik keeps licking around the rim, loosening the tight hole enough for him to add a finger not long after.

The lube disappears from his sight but Nicky sinks through his arms, holding himself up on his elbows as he leans his forehead against the warm stone of the mountain top.

One finger turns quickly into two, intermittently joined by Erik’s long sloppy tongue as they scissor him open and Nicky continues to lose his mind.

He scrabbles at the ground but there’s nothing to hold onto as Erik eats his ass to within an inch of his life, and Nicky just gestures behind him in the hopes of grabbing Erik’s attention.

“Fuck me, Erik, fuck me, please,” Nicky whines loudly. “I need you.”

His fingers disappear and Nicky groans louder at the loss until he chokes on his breath when Erik’s cock pushes against his rim, a little hitch in his breathing when the head pops in satisfyingly slick and Nicky laughs as his eyes roll back.  _ That’s it _ . That’s just what he needs exactly where he needs it. 

It doesn’t feel as though Erik intends to take his time, thrusting hard and fast, pulling Nicky’s hips back against him when he gets tired and the slap of their hips rings gratifyingly around them, disturbed by no other sound than their enthusiastic moans.

He hopes Erik’s fingers leave bruises on his hips, that there will be scuffs on his elbows and knees so he can remember this moment every time he looks in the mirror.

“Nicky,” Erik groans, “Where can I—”

“Inside, come inside,” Nicky orders and reaches back to hold Erik’s hips as they still against his own and he releases his spend deep in Nicky’s ass. 

Erik leans over him as he comes down from his orgasm, kisses behind Nicky’s ear, and carefully pulls out.

Nicky gestures at the bag and pulls out a medium-sized buttplug when Erik hands it over.

“Don’t let anything out,” he orders, handing it over to Erik, and when it’s firmly tucked inside, “Now get me off, fuck, I’m so close.”

Erik helps maneuver him until Nicky’s sitting back on his knees and heels, his jockstrap pulled down so his hard, weeping cock is finally released. He takes it into his mouth, slides down easily all the way until his nose pushes against Nicky’s skin and Erik’s throat is constricting around him. Nicky only clumsily thrusts up a few times before he comes down Erik’s throat, his hand grabbing Erik’s hair tight as he pushes him down to make sure it’s all gone.

Erik’s the first to pull his pants back on, then reaches over to lie down with Nicky on top of him, kissing him lazily until Nicky is able to catch his breath.

“I love you so fucking much,” Nicky mumbles against his throat.

Erik kisses the top of his head. “You gonna be okay to go down?”

Nicky grumbles before pushing himself up enough to use his puppy eyes on Erik. “Carry me?”


	12. Bonfire (Andrew//Neil)

Their gettogether at the cabin has become somewhat of a tradition for the foxes, even when half of them live spread across the country. Some have gone pro, some are studying for specialties and some just have jobs they love doing. All of them made time for this.

They upgraded the house, as unimaginable as that seemed to Neil, but there are bedrooms for everyone, ensuites too, and no one had to run to get the best room, because there was no clear winner.

When he and Andrew arrived, almost everyone else had called dibs already, but Neil is perfectly pleased with their bedroom in a hidden corner of the home.

Andrew didn’t comment, but Neil can read him well enough, and that little quirk of the corner of his mouth told him he liked it too.

The majority of the first day is spent unpacking bags, some people going for groceries, some exploring the hot tub on the deck. Andrew and Neil spend their time taking a nap on the bed, facing each other, and doing nothing besides breathing in the other’s air.

They wake up to Nicky’s ecstatic voice, which turns out to be caused by Matt and Kevin building a bonfire in a clearing far enough removed from the forest around them.

A table nearby holds packs of hotdogs, some condiments and buns, then a separate stack of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows. It doesn’t take Andrew long to grab some to snack on before the fire is well and truly lit.

Andrew squeezes his hand and looks at him, checking to see if Neil is alright.

“I’ll be fine,” he says, rolling his eyes when Andrew tsks at him. “I’ll tell you if I’m not.”

A second table is brought out, holding a bucket of ice and every alcoholic drink they could find, and Nicky gets to work mixing a few of them together, dubbing it the ‘conscience wrecker’.

Neil abstains but enjoys the faces of the people who try it.

When the fire has been going for long enough, and Neil is sure he can stay around it, sticks are passed around, and the feast begins.

Conversations flow easy, jokes even easier, and through it all, Andrew sticks by him like he’s still poised and ready to drag Neil off to their bedroom if he should want to.

Sure, he wouldn’t mind that, but he’ll stay outside for a little longer.

He tries his first s’more, Andrew tries about five. Aaron sets every single one of his marshmallows on fire and eventually lets Andrew do it for him.

Nicky and Erik are the first to giddily head back inside, with a soundtrack of wolf whistles following them.

Allison is next, and Renee follows five minutes later, dutifully ignoring the smirk Andrew sends her way. Neil makes a mental note to ask about it later.

One by one (or two by two) everyone heads inside until it’s just them, Neil staring into the dwindling fire and Andrew staring at Neil.

Andrew pulls him to his feet and tells him to head inside while he puts out the fire, and so, Neil does.

With their room being on the first floor, Neil can hear Andrew and Aaron talking in the kitchen, and while he can’t make out the words, he closes the door anyway.

Tomorrow Aaron and Katelyn will drive out to the small house they’re renting, just off-campus from their new school. They have spent the last few days packing up in fox tower, then packing up in the Columbia house. Andrew hasn’t wanted to discuss it so far, so Neil hasn’t brought it up either.

He changes for bed, brushes his teeth, and grabs his book from the nightstand. A few minutes later Andrew joins him in the room. Neil pretends to read as he watches the muscles in Andrew’s back, but the smirk Andrew gives him when he joins him on the bed tells him he wasn’t very subtle.

Andrew kisses him while pushing him into the mattress, taking the book out of his hands and depositing it on the floor. Neil lays back as they make out, and Andrew allows him to place his hands on his back to become better acquainted with those muscles he was eyeing earlier.

It’s slow, it’s easy, and it doesn’t turn into anything else, as it often doesn’t.

They kiss until Neil’s eyes get too tired to open, and then they kiss some more. He falls asleep at some point, wakes up again when Andrew moves away, grabbing at his shirt to keep him near.

They fall asleep like that, Andrew covering half of Neil’s body, his arm thrown across his chest, one leg over Neil’s as a reminder that he’s there.

When Neil wakes up, Andrew’s gone already.

Neil meets Katelyn in the kitchen as she’s making coffee, and she offers him some.

He’s blowing some of the smoke gently when she tells him, “They’re off for a walk together.”

Neil nods, not willing to show the surprise on his face, but she can tell anyway.

“They arranged it last night, apparently,” Katelyn says, cradling her cup.

Some of the other foxes wake up and join them, which then turns into all of them playing board games. No one mentions it when Aaron and Andrew casually walk in to join them, and Andrew starts helping Neil cheat.

Around noon, Katelyn and Aaron reluctantly get up to start grabbing their bags again, getting ready to drive out. Andrew is tense beside him, and he’s holding on to Neil’s hand.

When they’re all packed up, Neil and Andrew join them out front. Nicky and Erik hug them goodbye before sitting on the porch, and the others can read the mood well enough to stay inside.

They close the boot of the car, and there’s no reason to wait any longer. Katelyn gives them their privacy by getting in the car, and Neil joins Nicky and Erik. He’s looking off into the distance, trying not to intrude, but from the corner of his eye, he watches as Aaron’s the first to reach out, and Andrew’s the last to let go.


	13. Water fight (Kevin//Aaron)

Aaron can hear Neil counting out loud in the distance as he and Kevin run off into different directions for the best hiding place. The water gun is clunky and kind of heavy, but he tucks it in his waistband, hides it under his shirt, and picks a tree with reasonably low branches he can climb.

He should have thought this through more, because the foliage doesn’t really start until a few feet up, so Aaron needs to keep climbing to find a good spot that hides him.

When he’s finally satisfied no one can spot him, he settles on the thick branch and looks down.

_ Oh. _

Oh fuck, that’s high.

Aaron swallows and holds on tighter to the trunk of the tree. Wind blows through the leaves above him, and Aaron ignores the urge to look up, afraid he’ll fall backward instead.

A few minutes pass, and he’s sure Neil and Andrew should be done counting and starting the search for him and Kevin. He tries to listen for footsteps in the grass, but he’s so far up he can’t really be sure of anything.

He sees a flicker of something blue in the distance, and he figures he should get his water gun ready. It’s only when he shifts his hips just a little that he gets scared of falling and has to hold on even tighter. Alright, so he can’t use his gun. That’s kind of… fucked. He’s stuck in this tree, unable to defend himself.

Something moves below him, but Aaron refuses to look down, so he startles when the thing whisper-shouts, “Aaron!”

He glances quickly. 

“Kevin,” he mutters. “Fuck off, this is  _ my  _ hiding spot.”

“Yeah? I could have shot you from here.”

“Fuck you,” Aaron spits. “It’s perfect. I’m not moving.”

Kevin snorts. “Aaron, come on, I’ve found a great spot in an abandoned shed, we can barricade ourselves behind the window. You know it’ll be better if we team up against them.”

That’s actually not a terrible idea. Not that Aaron will admit that.

“Just,” Aaron sighs. “Just go by yourself.”

Kevin squints up at him. “What’s up with you? You would never miss an opportunity to get one over on them.”

Fuck, that’s true. Oh god, he’s gonna have to admit this, isn’t he?

“Promise you won’t laugh?”

That was a mistake.

Kevin snorts. “Only if it’s not funny.”

Aaron rolls his eyes to the sky, then sighs. “I’m stuck.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“I really didn’t,” Kevin says. “Hang on, I’ll come up.”

Aaron doesn’t have time to object before Kevin starts climbing to join him.

“What did you say?” Kevin asks when he’s just a few branches below Aaron.

“I’m stuck,” Aaron scowls. 

Kevin checks his body, probably for any wounds, like the dumb, protective ass he is. “What do you mean? You look fine.”

Aaron fights the blush because he  _ knows _ , he knows that’s not what Kevin meant.

“I went too high, and now I can’t get my balance right to go back down,” Aaron explains, refusing to look Kevin in the eyes.

“I could, uh…” Kevin starts, eyes shifting every which way. “I could carry you down. If you want. Uh.”

“You, uh…” They’re running out of time, Andrew and Neil are sure to catch up to them quickly, especially when they’re stuck halfway up a tree like this. “Fine. But, like… Okay, fine.”

Kevin climbs up a bit higher so he can grab hold of Aaron’s waist and pull him closer to his chest. Aaron makes an embarrassing sound when he isn’t attached to the tree anymore, just Kevin holding his weight up as he climbs back down, and Aaron grabs hold of Kevin’s tank top. 

When they’re safely back on the ground, Aaron dares to look up and search for the branch he was on.

He blushes when he thinks he’s found it because it’s only a good seven feet from the ground. Kevin starts to look up too, but Aaron drags him along.

“Show me this shed, Kevin.”

When they make it there, Kevin pulls him inside and closes the door behind them. It suddenly becomes a lot more intimate, more clear that it’s just the two of them in an enclosed space.

Aaron watches sweat drip down Kevin’s exposed arms and remembers the feeling of those arms around him, the frankly impressive muscles that were able to hold his entire body up, and Aaron has to look away.

They end up sitting side by side underneath the window, guns facing the door as they wait in tense silence.

The sweat and humidity cause their arms to stick together, and Aaron’s enjoying the feeling of Kevin near too much to move. He can’t help himself when he whines as Kevin shifts but swallows the follow-up groan when he notices it’s so he can take his shirt off.

“Sorry,” he says. “It’s so hot in here.”

Yeah, it is. Should he… Should Aaron take his top off too? He doesn’t look as impressive as Kevin does, obviously, but… it is very warm in here, and he wouldn’t mind accidentally brushing up against Kevin with some more of his skin.

It’s during this shifting of body parts in the small space that Aaron slips, and has to catch his fall by grabbing hold of whatever’s closest. It ends up being Kevin’s chest.

His palm is resting firmly on Kevin’s pec, and he feels it twitch as he sheepishly looks up at Kevin, who has grabbed hold of Aaron’s arm to help him keep steady.

Jesus, that feels good, the way Kevin’s hand nearly wraps around his arm. He doesn’t know what he’s trying to do as he moves his palm down until just one finger is resting on Kevin’s nipple.

He can feel it pebble up underneath, and Kevin isn’t looking away from him, isn’t even asking him what the fuck he thinks he’s doing.

So he does it again, rubs against it and watches Kevin shiver.

“Is that… Do you like that?” Aaron whispers. 

Kevin nods and grabs hold of Aaron’s hips to move him into Kevin’s lap.

“More?” Aaron asks but doesn’t get an answer. Instead, Kevin pulls him closer to press his lips against Aaron’s, licks across them, and pushes against the seam. Aaron is quick to let him in, enjoying the confident way Kevin moves, the way he pulls Aaron closer so their chests meet and Aaron wraps his arms around Kevin’s neck. 

He can feel Kevin growing harder underneath him, and Kevin pauses their make-out to ask, “Wait, they’re gonna find us… Do you think we should stop?”

Aaron drags himself away from Kevin’s capable fucking lips to look out the window. He can make out a blond and ginger speck in the distance, and they’re on the fucking ground.

Aaron suddenly realizes they probably weren’t intending on looking for them very hard.

Kevin’s hand squeezes Aaron’s waist, and Aaron gladly looks back into Kevin’s eyes.

“No, we have time. Come here,” he says, tugging Kevin closer by the hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this has been such a wonderful event to participate in, and i can't believe i accomplished all of this in two weeks??  
> amazing shout out to [André](http://twitter.com/chbvnny) for organizing this, i had such a blast <3

**Author's Note:**

> i'm on [twitter!](http://twitter.com/neilmoony)  
> 


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